HOCKEY

HOCKEY; Lachance Excels in Islander Shutout

By TOM FRIEND,

Published: March 17, 1993

DALY CITY, Calif., March 16—
The staircase leading to the decrepit Cow Palace locker room is so steep that it makes for a wonderful aerobic workout.

Scott Lachance, an Islanders rookie defenseman, plodded up those steps in his skates before tonight's game, searching for a railing that did not exist.

"They need a darn elevator here," he said.

The good news was that the climb did not wear him out. Lachance, scratched from the lineup the last five games, had enough endurance to score two goals and add an assist in helping New York gain a 6-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Shutout for Healy

Goalie Glenn Healy of the Islanders blocked 26 shots.

The Islanders, with 72 points, are tied with New Jersey for the final Patrick Division playoff spot.

Losers of two straight games at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders were not about to overlook the Sharks (now 10-59-2), and they built a 4-0 lead after two and half periods.

Lachance, a former member of the 1992 United States Olympic team and nearly the first draft choice of the Sharks two years ago, was New York's catalyst, for once.

The Islanders' first goal, in the opening period, was a fluke, with the puck bouncing in off the skate of Sharks center Hubie McDonough. Brian Mullen was credited with the goal.

Lachance made it 2-0 with a point-blank slap shot past goalie Arturs Irbe after he took a pretty centering pass from wing David Volek.

Early in the second period, Lachance got help from his two roommates in Glen Cove, L.I. -- Travis Green and Marty McInnis. The three of them share a condominium, and they also shared the puck for the Islanders' third goal. McInnis fed Green, who fed Lachance about 10 feet in front of the Sharks' net, and Lachance pounded it in with 14:45 remaining in the period.

Approximately two minutes later, center Pierre Turgeon notched his first goal in three games, with a flashy spin move from behind the Sharks' net. He had retrieved the puck behind Irbe, wheeled deftly to the front of the net and flipped in a rising shot.

It was the 45th goal of the season for the dexterous 23-year-old Turgeon, who also assisted on Steve Thomas's goal in the third period.

"I feel kind of like I have pressure to carry the team," Turgeon said before tonight's game. "But we can't depend on one guy or three guys. We're the type of team that needs all the guys."

Lachance's two goals tonight were unexpected because he had been benched in late February. His assist on Patrick Flatley's deflection goal came in the final five minutes of the game.

"When I didn't play, I'd ride the bike for 45 minutes and skate a little extra in pregame skate," said Lachance, who grew up a Philadelphia Flyer fan in Bristol, Conn. "I wasn't just some bump."

The Islanders needed his services because Russian defenseman Vladimir Malakhov is out anywhere from a week to two weeks with a sprained shoulder. Lachance was the logical replacement because at 6 feet 2 inches and 205 pounds he is a sizeable defenseman capable of bullying opponents and because the recent benching gave him some much-needed nerve.

Coach Al Arbour approached Lachance on Monday to tell him he was returning to the lineup.

"He said, "You ready to go?' " Lachance recalled today.

"And I told him, "Yeah. Been ready for a while.' "

Lachance, who has played 62 games this season, almost became a Shark two seasons ago. San Jose had the second overall pick in the 1991 draft and wavered between choosing wing Pat Falloon and Lachance. Falloon ended up here and Lachance ended up a raw rookie in New York this sason.

"He missed a few games," Arbour said before tonight's game, "but he's a good kid. I mean, he's 20 years old. It's a matter of numbers, and we're getting a little more expericence into the lineup for the stretch. Again, only 20 years old. That's tough, playing a 20-year-old on defense. That's the toughest position to play, defense."